NEW DELHI: Raising questions over sale of certain biostimulants whose efficacy is not proven by proper data, Union agriculture minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan Tuesday pulled up officials and asked whether his ministry and the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) are truly serving the interests of farmers or merely helping private companies.His strong remarks came during a review meeting on the unregulated sale of biostimulants, where he said government will not allow the sale of such products without scientific approval, with strict action being taken against unauthorised manufacturers.Biostimulants are applied to seeds, plants or soil by farmers to stimulate natural plant growth, though use of many such formulations (substances or microorganisms, such as beneficial bacteria, fungi, and plant extracts) is not backed by verified field trial data under the existing regulatory mechanism.

Government currently regulates biostimulants through the amended Fertiliser (Inorganic, Organic or Mixed) Control Order, 1985.Questioning the efficacy, regulation, and oversight of biostimulants being sold to farmers in many states, Chouhan directed that such products must undergo scientific evaluation by ICAR to assess their utility and said only those products will be approved that pass all parameters of efficacy.

Asking officials to prepare a standard of procedure (SOP) for strict regulations, he said, "Permission will now be given only after scientific approval and the entire responsibility for this will lie on the officials. "The minister's directives came in response to several complaints that he received during his ground visits to many states during a fortnight-long campaign - 'Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan' - in May-June."After hearing the grievances of innocent farmers, I cannot sit idle. As the agriculture minister, it is my duty to act," he said.